Wednesday, November 29, 2006

On Video Games

Another mediocre PCP here follows. I don't know why I even write these things anymore:

My esteemed colleague, Mr. Fox, has claimed that console game is dying due to the various gimmicks employed to get us to buy the things as well as what he perceives as a drop in the quality of the games available. But the use of gimmicks is not intrinsically tied to the loss of popularity of a particular product, or even the fears thereof. If one believed as much, one would glean that American Idol, Pepsi and the NFL were likewise suffering from a drop in popularity. So long as our economic system places no limits upon the baseness of human greed, corporations will go to extraordinary lengths so as to ensure the sales of whatever pathetic product they are attempting to peddle. The degrading quality of advertisements is not confined to console gaming; and it is an indictment, not of corporations for possessing so mean a character—for it has always been thus—but of the gullibility of the American people, that is, another topic for another day.

As to the quality of the games, I haven't the foggiest idea as to whether we are in the midst of a decline in quality—less than surprising, given the pejorative state of human affairs—or if we are approaching the dawning of the new metaphorical video gaming of Ancient Rome. Little known fact: Nero actually played Fiddle Hero whilst his city burned. But it occurs to me that while my video game prowess is less than salutary, especially given the nerd-saturated environment in which I presently dwell, my relationship toward the favorite past time of a number of my colleagues might be, not inaccurately, construed as normal.

In short, I have failed to notice anything which would serve to confirm any of Mr. Fox's fears. After all, people didn't line up for days merely to get shot at. A PS3 was most definitely involved.

I have a meeting with my editors tonight. It should be a barrel of chuckles.

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